Gundam 00 Episode 07 (Love Tonight)

In the interests of having an impression somewhere on the blogosphere that isn’t just more of the constant negativity and angry drunken rants that Gundam 00 gets from it no matter the content and quality of the episode (and let me say that this is one episode that really just doesn’t deserve it at all) here is my impression of this one from Animesuki. Still I recognize a certain sect that needs that sort of thing so in the interests of appealing to those who didn’t like the episode or just want something to get worked up about I’ve released my evil twin from his deep dark prison to help translate this impression into rage speak. You should be so lucky. Enjoy.🙂

Honestly I wasn’t a big fan of the battle this episode, but as I’ve said elsewhere I can live with that because it wasn’t the main focus. It was cool to see Sumeragi get right into things instead of hitting the bottle the second she gets depressed which gives me far more confidence in her as a strategist then before. Can’t say her strategy was all that brilliant but she did what she needed to do in making the A-LAWS go away so that Kataron could get out of there. Again if there’s any part of this episode that could have used some work then it was this part (Shin’s translation for RAGERS: THIS BATTLE SUCKED AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID ALLELUJAH FOR GETTING SHOT DOWN AND 00 GUNDAM BEING WORTHLESS! GRRRRR!)

Setsuna’s duel with Graham was brief but probably the most interesting part of this short skirmish. As Ian predicted Trans-Am did eventually cause the 00 Gundam to overload, but not before he did some equally serious damage to Graham’s Ahead. I have to wonder how the battle would have gone if that hadn’t happened. And then there’s Saji who as I suspected couldn’t pull the trigger. I was ready to give up on him altogether but then he finally did what he should have done all along if he wanted to be helpful. Put his engineering certificate to use on the bridge in order to help repair the 00 Gundam with Ian. I also got a bit of a laugh (not sure how appropriate it was) out of the Meisters not realizing Allellujah was missing until the A-LAWS had left. Are they really that uncoordinated when Sumeragi is not in the picture? (Shin’s translation for RAGERS: STUPID MEISTERS CAN’T EVEN KEEP TRACK OF THEIR OWN MEN! WAY TO GO SUNRISE! GRAAAAH!)

Of course Allelujah was off elsewhere after getting shot down by and shooting down Soma and finally all of those convince commands he’s been using on her pay off (speaking of which this is great because when an SRW rolls around with 00 in it means I get to use my favourite female character…..maybe). I’ve gotta side with the group that doesn’t feel this is too soon. In fact it’s been a long time coming. 27 episodes at least since the beginning of season 1. Speaking of season one we also finally get to see what was up with all of those flashbacks Allelujah was having about being lost in space and killing some kid. So that was when he escaped from the Super Soldier facility and his Hallelujah finally kicked in in order to help him survive the ordeal at any cost. A blessing and a curse. The way I see it these past couple of episodes and their focus on Allelujah are making up for all that time they forget about him for at the end of last season. (Shin’s Translation for RAGERS: IF SUNRISE THINKS THEY CAN MAKE UP FOR SCREWING UP FIRST SEASON THEN THEY ARE WRONG! BAAAAAAAH!)

As for Marie, boy is she different from Soma. She even sounds different in how she lacks that gruff tone that Soma always had when talking. I disagree with the idea that she’s been reduced to some sort of moeblob now though. She’s merely gone from being unnaturally bloodthirsty and arrogant to something a bit closer to a normal human being. Being a super soldier really isn’t all it’s cut out to be. When Sergei showed up I also knew exactly what he was planning to do the whole time and that was to execute Soma Peries in battle. He didn’t do this for Allelujah or himself though as you know he would gladly like to seek retribution for the death of his comrades, he did it for his daughter as one last gift before he said goodbye to her. Celestial Being up one pilot, A-LAWS down another. (Shin’s translation for RAGERS: GRAAAH THEY KILLED SOMA SHE’LL NEVER PILOT AGAIN! SUNRISE JUST DOESN’T GET IT DO THEY! HOW IS THIS GUNDAM?!)

And while this episode carried with it a fairly upbeat tone, it also brings us quite a bit closer to what I think is going to be the main plot. We finally see what was up with Ali’s attack on Azadistan and there’s no doubt that the A-LAWS were unnofficially behind it. This is how they roll (hint hint there Crusader, hope you’ve been paying attention this time…….). If they can’t get a country to join the Earth Federation then they will force it in, and if that means having a crazy guy perform go black ops on an entire region so that they can come in, restore order and install a friendly government then so be it. By the way, does this sound familiar to anyone. Subtle, but at the same time obvious to anybody who’s been reading the newspapers in the past 5 years. The preview also seems to hint that this is a step forward in Aeolia’s plan. Wait though, I thought Aeolia’s plan was through world peace unless……..world peace ends with an innovator in charge and the next step for humanity. Enter Regena Regetta and her bragging that she and Tieria have something in common and that also includes Ribbons. It looks like we are going to be heading into a Tieria focused series of episodes now and with it I sense we’ll be getting some answers to questions about what is really going on and our entrance into the core plotline that will define the rest of the series. (Shin’s Translation for RAGERS: WAY TO TURN THE SHOW INTO A BLACK AND WHITE CARTOON SERIES! I SUPPOSE THE OH SO GOOD CELESTIAL BEING WILL HAVE TO TAKE OUT THE BIG BAD A-LAWS NEXT TIME! GOD THIS SHOW MIGHT AS WELL JUST END NOW! IT’S OVER FOR ME! THE ONLY REASON I WATCH IT ANYMORE IS FOR MR.BUSHIDO LOL!)

One other thing I noticed is that Soma and Louise seem to have hit it off in the previous episode and she’s the next most reluctant pilot in the A-LAWS group. The one that most certainly doesn’t belong. The fact that Andrei had to step in and save her and that she just keeps making all of these made charges makes it hard for to see how she can continue to function as a member of an elite military group. If she only knew the truth about what was going on and could speak to Saji and Soma then it’s easy to see her path to getting out of this mess and heading over to Celestial Being too. They’re less of an enemy of the kind that would do what Nena did to her family then the A-LAWS are with their willingness to destroy an entire country just to see that it falls in line behind the Earth Federation. (Shin’s translation for RAGERS: LOUISE SHOULD HAVE KILLED SAJI THIS EPISODE IF SUNRISE WANTED TO TURN THIS SHOW AROUND! OF COURSE THEY DIDN’T! AAAAAARGGGGGGH)

As a side note, I wasn’t a fan of the Tommy Heavenly6 insert song at all. Give me Taja any day. Can’t say it really fit the scene. (Shin’s Translation for RAGERS: A SHITTY INSERT SONG?! IF SUNRISE EXPECTS ME TO BUY THEIR CRAPPY MUSIC THEN THEY THEY’RE MORE INCOMPETENT THEN I THOUGHT! RAAAAAAAAGE!)

In the end I think this episode deserves about an 8.5/10 rounded up to a 9 for the absolutely solid animation and choreagraphy throughout. If the shows been good so far it looks like it’s about to really hit it’s stride this season. (Shin’s Translation for RAGERS: 2/10! AT THIS RATE IT’S SURE TO BE A….)

That will do Shin Oikamas. That will do…..now get back from whenst thou came.

Rating: Nine Out Of Ten

Fury Rating: Two Out Of Ten

Special Bonus Topic:

I would like to touch upon a point made by Wingdarkness over on Animesuki (this part is copied verbatim as well) about how Setsuna didn’t seem to have learned anything from this encounter. At least so far. I find this actually is a little bit worrisome because a) We have been under the impression that his personality and way of handling things has been improved this season, but have never really seen it and b) a lack of reaction indicates that Setsuna has not recognized his defeat and what he might need to do to improve in order to do better against Mr. Bushido the next time, which seems a bit foolish.

The problem here comes from what may happen in the future because if Setsuna suddenly does beat him without having undergone a certain realization in order to do so then it could end up feeling cheap and will do no honour to Mr. Bushido nor Setsuna himself. They are building this confrontation up to be a big one in the future so I hope we at least get to see Setsuna recognizing his opponents skill in the coming episodes and taking steps to prepare for the next confrontation. Mr. Bushido should not be allowed to get the drop on the 00 Gundam a third time like he’s been doing. How does the saying go, ” ‘Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a thousand battles without disaster.”

1. Mr. Bushido is only interested in fighting the 00 Gundam. Use this to your advantage.

2. Mr. Bushido insists on close quarters combat and is nearly unbeatable in this regard. Make a point to keep your distance when engaging him.

3. Mr. Bushido prefers to fight alone. Find a way to use his “comrades” against him as a distraction.

4. Mr. Bushido will not fight an opponent who cannot defend himself. Make not of this if you want to avoid combat with him.

Time to get cracking Setsuna. Of course I don’t expect many or really any of these points to come into play in the future, but they are worth noting just the same. This is where Setsuna could potentially start in his quest to overcome his adversary.

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14 Responses to “Gundam 00 Episode 07 (Love Tonight)”

Voted for Maid, because I would love to see MA*I*D Soma/Marie. Though honestly, I think she’d be working on the bridge if anything. Loved the episode. And since you didn’t mention it: TIERIA IN A DRESS!

I have one wish: That Soma (I prefer it above Marie) keeps piloting Mobile Suits and that she doesn’t remain on the ship waiting for dear old Hall to return from changing the world. I hate to see her from going from a strong independent character to a male-dependent weak one. I hope it is granted. Code Geass and its perceived ‘woman unfriendlyness’ is still fresh in the mind of the easily offended. Although I don’t think that critique was completely unjustified; I hate to see it dominate dicussions (again).

Apart from this slight fear of the political incorrect: It was a likeable episode. A quick conclusion of the Hall/Marie dillemma, an understanding Sergei, and an ass-kicking Bushido. I also liked the insert song, despite it making painfully clear that the magnificient duo, Soma and Sergei, is dead. At least that was the impression I got from the sudden insert song. A sad, sad day for federation forces. Still, which Soma out of the way Katie needs a new squadleader/pilot. She will probably settle for Barack as squadleader, but Patrick would be an excellent pilot replacement! I want my Patrick!

Another minor point of interest: I really would like to know though whose idea it was to give Bushido a ‘special permit’ and what his/her agenda was. By now the higher-ups should recognize Bushido isn’t contributing as much as he should (well he did save the A-LAWS carier, so he probably has some credit left). Bushido will probably fight for A-LAWS without his special note, seeing as he lives for the glorious battle with Setsuna. He is also totally dependent on A-LAWS for the high-end Mobile Suits he needs for his personal quest. I actually think that if he allowed himself to be included in the battle-plans, he’ll have a better chance on catching 00 alone. His mad dash for the finish has proven rather effective lately though. Katie, what say you?!?

This episode basically takes one of the sub-plots down and gives it some resolution of sorts. Although I think it’s not over yet. Something’s bound to happen later.

And my only fear with Soma’s character is that she’s practically “useless”. I placed quotation marks since she’s primarily an MS pilot and now that she’s in CB, I don’t think Al won’t let her touch a Gundam or fight alongside him. I’d hate it to see if she becomes another Bridge Bunny (which defeats the purpose since, if you look at it, she’s still taking part of the fighting by being the support). So yeah, I think her being a maid is good enough. I’d kick my head if that happens.😄

Just got back from having another slug out with Crusader and someone I’ve nicknamed Captain Screamo. Man that guy is never going to be happy with anything in the series no matter what they do…..must suck to be that constantly upset over a show you’re blogging. Can’t even imagine…..anyway:

@Amuro1x: Well we were promised Maids in the joke trailer for this season. You never know.

@Gideon: I’m going to miss the Soma personality too if she’s really gone, but I am open to where they might take the Marie personality. Perhaps you misread, but I actually didn’t like the insert song. Go figure, some people say I tried to sugar coat this episode, but I would definitely not give that song a pass.

As for Mr. Bushido, I’m going to assume it was Ribbons. He seems capable of giving these executive orders that the A-LAWS and Federation have to obey since he’s pretty much the one handing them their positions and pulling the strings for the sake of his master plan.

Loligoth_Powered: I’d put this one slightly above your average Newtype love storyline since they did meet as kids and had a chance to develop their relationship over time as opposed to being drawn to each other by some mysterious force. In fact, it was actually the Super Soldier conditioning that pushed them apart in kind of a reverse twist on the whole Gundam trope. I had a debate that went pretty much nowhere as I mentioned above as to the nature and quality of the Allelujah x Marie “romance” but honestly I can’t think of any way in which it’s especially bad and feel that it has been handled rather well given that there’s so many other aspects to this show which need to and are being given focus as well. Gotta give the kudos where it’s do and luckily at least I’m in the majority for a change when it comes to people who gave the thumbs up to this episode.

@Sadakups: That’s what I said in my “debate”. A couple of folks were unhappy at what they saw as the murder of Soma who has had a lot of development only to be “replaced” by Marie who has had next to none. Well of course that’s the case since we’ve only just seen the Marie personality full force in one episode and that’s just the beginning of her new chance at life. As much as I joke about the possibility of her becoming a bridge bunny or mascot I think they’re likely to take her into some interesting conflicts with her former comrades.

As opposed to say…Crusader (boy I’m picking on him a lot today :p ) I prefer to see this continued development of Soma’s character in new directions (ones that are foreshadowed and allowed to develop like this one was that is) as opposed to seeing her stagnate as the same old character like it was looking like she was up until the end of the last season. Really this is something anybody should have seen coming to an extent and I think it only spells interesting possibilites for the time to come. Had Soma stayed a one note soldier like he wanted her too then I don’t think I would have ever nominated her as my favourite female character in the series. Honestly I didn’t really like her much at all in the first season and thought she was never going to learn anything from Sergei until that final episode where she set pride aside to save his life. That was the turning point for Soma as she began to head towards Marie again. Definitely one of the better written characters in the series up to this point. Hopefully they don’t ruin her somehow though by letting the Marie personality stagnate, but I have pretty high hopes that that won’t happen.

I mistyped: I was perfectly aware you disliked the song ^^ Although I liked the song myself: I don’t actually think it was needed to make the episode work. Sergei and Soma said their own goodbyes. So as to why they needed to underline it with a song: I don’t know. Almost as if the writers don’t have confidence in their own story-telling abilities. Although commercial interests are more likely to blame. Anyway: as I liked the song, I’ll let it pass🙂

@Gideon: Their storytelling abilities are fine compared to Gundam Seed Destiny writers no matter what some people might be desperately trying to get one to believe, of that much I am more than certain. Then again these are the type of people that no matter what the writers cook up will insist it is the worst story you could possibly tell (and the best reason they’ll come up with to explain that is “because”) so I don’t see how their opinion matters much.

Here’s to hoping Sunrise keeps up the good work. Ohhhh….I just love breaking standard blogging formula. Especially because I know saying something like “Good Job Sunrise” without forcing a “you ruined x” really get’s under some other blogger’s skins in a big way.🙂 I’ll say it again. GOOD JOB SUNRISE! AHAHAHAHA! And nobody can make me take that back.

By the way and as a general shout out, there’s a drinking game for this episode for every time Allelujah says “Marie”. Might not want to try it out though folks.

Personally I loved this episode purely for the enjoyment of it. I mean “HELL YEA!” this is like killing two birds with one stone. One is that Allelujah can get the happiness he deserves and two is that Marie/Soma is finally released from the “bear”.
Sometimes trying to scrutinize on every bit of detail just ruins the enjoyment of the episode and I know for a fact that gundam series are those you try to avoid too much “hard thinking”.

@Deathkillz: That’s because your a normal person who is still able to get some enjoyment out of their Sunrise mecha anime when it’s geniunely solid and entertaining as opposed to viewing them from the more popular mentality that everything they do is wrong.

I think I’ll take the time to mention though that I’m starting worry I’m going to turn into a jaded fan who just wails on the shows I watch by the time I hit 28. That seems to be the magic age for anime blogging and forum goers going 100% negative. For now though, to youth and good watching.🙂

@Enact: Actually that’s just the stock phrase. Remember this one during Code Geass R2, “Stop taking Code Geass so seriously, you’re just supposed to watch it for the lulz, the only reason I watch this show anymore is because” ? That’s a classic man. Oh…..predictable predictable internet, why can’t you be more just a little more spontaneous? I think I’m going jaded and negative already…..good thing this show is actually still good despite what some would want us to believe.

@Gaia: Definitely think long and hard about it if the option to blog ever comes up. Blogging is a very stressful lifestyle. Why I’ve aged so much psychologically in the past year and a half that I might as well be 28.

Well, we already know from Episode 19 that she’s a pilot. And that the Marie Personality disappeared again. AGAIN! Juz cos’ she want revenge… Oh well…
Shinn’s Translation for Raggers: What is Sunrise doing?! They just take out characters and stuff them back in all over the place! MAke up your mind or I’m not watching! LOL

@hi: It’s part of that characters own struggle withe her darker tendencies. Losing Sergei was a pretty huge bit of trauma for Soma that caused her to have feelings of guilt over leaving Sergei’s side to become Marie to overwhelm her. If she had still been there after all then maybe she would have been able to protect him from Andrei. That caused the Soma personality to snap back in to place, or at the very least her to borrow some of Soma’s own strength to be able to make a difference. And you know what, never mind Allelujah if he says she shouldn’t be able to fight. He’s not exactly doing any better than she is and he’s definitely going to need her help in the “dialogues to come”.

Now with regard to certain characters like Graham and Ali who unfortunately disappear for many episodes at a time, Gundam has always sort of done that. There’s always one character who disappears for a while only to reappear later on and usually it’s an antagonst. I think the record is held by Basque Ohm for being gone for over half of Zeta Gundam.